Ahhhhhh….the good ol’ science fair….when today’s parents think back on it, they may remember rows of three sided cardboard displays and a great disparity in levels of um...fanciness. That’s because when it comes to science fairs, there seem to be a couple of types of parents: the control freaks that do it all for their child, and the ones that let their child do it themselves.  

Rest easy, people. You don’t have to fall into either of those slots. Furthermore, if the thought of tackling a science fair or science project fills you with more dread than remembering to move the Elf on the Shelf, you’re overthinking it. The internet has made science fairs and science projects WAY easier (some may even go so far as to say the web has ruined it, but we beg to differ.) These cold winter months are a great time to experiment with science at home. We recommend taking advantage of online classes like these in addition to using the following recommendations: 

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So, how do you start a science project?  

To begin, you need an idea. Having an idea or concept is key to the success of your experiment, and your child’s continued interest. While there’s nothing wrong with simply making slime or letting your child create “potions” from harmless household items,  investing a little time and energy into deciding and prepping an age-appropriate actual experiment will likely result in your child’s interest in science truly exploding.  (Sorry..some puns are just too hard to resist.) 

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What do you need for a science project?  

There are science kits ranging from butterfly gardens to chemistry sets available to purchase from a variety of sources. Alternatively, you can just go experiment by experiment. Once you have an idea or a plan ( it can be from the internet or an old-school book like one of these ) you’ll need to gather the specified materials. There things that might not appear on lists of materials for experiments, but that you may want to consider based on parental experience are: aprons, gloves, something to protect your flooring, a safe step stool to bring your “lab partner” up to the work space, and of course- protective eyewear. It would also be good to brush up on your knowledge of the scientific method. Any time parents can reiterate and/or reinforce what is being taught in school, it’s a win. 

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How do you make a good science fair project? 

If you’re moving beyond the home science project to the land of blue ribbon potential known as (dunh dunh dunhhhh…) THE SCIENCE FAIR, there are several things to keep in mind:

• It’s more important that your child do the experiment and create the presentation themselves than it is that they win a prize. 
• In keeping with the above, Make sure the topic is something your child is interested in, and it doesn’t just appeal to you. 
• Avoid choosing a super broad topic. Your child can’t fix global warming, but they could choose to focus on one thing in your town that might help reduce it. 
• You can never have too much data. Record, record, record. While you might not use it all in the end, you don’t want to be left with unanswered questions or information your child can’t explain. 
• Help your child keep in mind that getting the right answer is NOT the purpose of a Science Fair project. It is the intent of a Science Fair project that you go through the process of asking questions and performing experiments in an attempt to find answers. 

We hope these tips help! And don’t forget, see if your child can think of ideas on their own! Maybe they’ll get inspiration from a virtual science class or learn about it in school!